Celestial Stars
by Sellybelly411
Summary: Her eyes drooped closed and the celestial spirits spun into a frenzy of panic. "No, Princess! Princess, wake up! Big Brother, what shall we do? She's still breathing, though not for long." Loke frowned, "I have an idea, but it would go against every rule in the Celestial World." Virgo bit her lip, "What do you wish me to do?" "Summon the others.We're going to save Lucy."
1. Lucky Lucy!

Lucky Lucy!

"_Look sharp, Lucy!" Erza shouted from behind her and the blonde took a huge leap into the air, sneering down at the enemy. _

"_Okay, here we go!" _

_-Five months ago-_

Natsu Dragneel laughed snarkily as he carried an annoyed Lucy in his arms, refusing to put her down as they entered the guild. The young woman sighed in relief when she was finally put down, breathing in and out before giving her friend the good smack that he deserved. She turned her head to the side and humphed out of frustration.

She had injured herself on the job and Natsu had insisted that he carry her all the way home when she was perfectly fine. Her ankle did hurt a bit from the scratch she'd gotten from a beast they had been fighting but that was it. It wasn't like her life was in danger or anything. Besides, she could handle herself.

"Geez, you didn't need to get so mad at me. I was just trying to help you." The pink-haired boy said.

"Well, ya didn't!" She shouted, "Hey, do you mind if I head home? That job kinda exhausted me, and I'd really like to take a bath."

"Oh, sure, no problem. We'll meet up here tomorrow then, alright?" He said, earning a thumbs up from the female mage. She gave him a high five then walked out of the guild hall. After making sure that she was alone, the blonde let out a small groan of pain and hunched her back, shuffling the rest of the way home.

Lucy tried to hide her pain as she climbed up the staircase. Her ankle still hurt from the wound and the pain only seemed to grow. Still, she somehow managed to convince herself that it was nothing to worry about and her wound would surely heal soon enough.

Slipping her socks off, she gasped when she saw a strange blue color on a good part of her right ankle. She winced at the pain, which seemed to intensify the longer she stared at it. Deciding against the bath, she wrapped it up in gauze and headed to bed.

_It's nothing, _she thought, _I'll be fine. _

Lucy had a restless sleep that night, her ankle burning hotter than Natsu's fire. When she finally managed to rest peacefully though, it was time to get up.

Angry from her lack of sleep, she stomp-limped into her bathroom to change. She removed her bandages, trying to hold back a scream when she saw that the color had spread higher.

"This isn't good." She winced, tying around some fresh bandages. She made sure she had all her keys before finally walking over to the guild hall, where her friends were waiting. She waved a cheerful hello, doing her best to mask the pain that she was going through right now.

Natsu could tell, though. He kept a careful eye on his friend as she walked ahead of him, getting tireder by the second.

"Hey Lucy?" The dragon slayer said, earning her attention, "You doing okay?"

"Yeah!" She chuckled, "I'm fine."

"Really? Because you look kinda tired to me."

"Oh, no worries. I'm fine."

He grabbed her out of the blue and placed her on his back, carrying her for the rest of the way. Her eyes closed shortly and she fell asleep calmly on his back, snoring lightly. He couldn't help but notice her whimpering and cries of pain. Natsu turned to face the others, who had their eyes on the hurting blonde.

"Oh, my. I've never seen Lucy like this before…" Wendy Marvell commented, frowning at the older girl, "She looks like she's in so much pain. I wish I knew what was wrong with her, because then maybe I could heal her."

"Agreed. She's clearly not well enough for battle. Shall we leave her be in the hotel when we reach our destination?" Erza Scarlet suggested.

"Nah, you know she'll never let that happen. Lucy's too stubborn to stay she's wounded." Gray Fullbuster said, "I just hope it's not anything too serious."

"Well, knowing her she'll be fine. She'll get through this, no problem."

The group nodded at that statement from Natsu and managed to walk the rest of the way until they reached their hotel. Natsu carried Lucy carefully into the bedroom she and the other two girls were sharing.

Erza helped the blonde change into her pajamas, but froze when she saw the bandages. Gently, trying not to wake the girl up, she removed them and gasped at the sight.

Lucy's ankle was a sky blue, and was spreading.

"Oh, Lucy." She muttered. Nevertheless, she wrapped the girl's wound and helped her into bed.

There was no way she would be able to get the blonde to reveal the news of her wound on her own, so maybe Erza could push it out of her somehow?

No, that would be far too rash.

Releasing her red velvet locks from her ponytail, she changed into her pajamas and settled into bed herself. She took one last look at Lucy, who was shaking in her bed and frowned. Not liking the sight of her friend in pain, the woman known as Titanya covered the girl in layers of blankets and set a fire lacrima on the nightstand next to her.

Erza sighed and returned to her own bed.

Something had to be done about this.

When she woke up the next morning, she was extremely worried about the young girl. She had not woken up and it seemed that her condition was getting worse, as it was quickly spreading up her legs. What's more was that Virgo and Leo were there keeping watch over her. This was getting very bad.

"Ah, Erza." Loke said, turning his head, "I apologize if we've disturbed you. We sensed danger and decided to come check on her."

"The princess has fallen ill." The maiden said, "I'm afraid she will not be able to aid you today."

"That matters to me no longer. Just take care of Lucy, we'll be back as soon as we can!"

"Yes, mistress."

The pink-haired spirit bowed and then returned to Lucy's side, forcing some very smelly medicine down her throat.

The redhead couldn't seem to focus on her mission because her mind kept going back to her friend and how serious her situation was.

_Why didn't you tell us, Lucy? _

"Come… come on, y...you guy...y...ys, I can fight!" Lucy protested, turning her head away from a second dose of medicine Virgo was spoon feeding her, "Just… just…" She tried to push herself up, but fell back down.

"Princess!"

"Lucy!"

"Princess, please. You mustn't push yourself or you will only get worse." The maiden said, "And that means…" She pouted, and though Lucy's vision was blurry she did see the sorrowful look in her friend's eyes. Was Virgo… crying?

"It's okay." The blonde said, summoning the spirit to her side, "It'll be fine." She pulled Virgo into a comforting hug, "Just whatever happens, know that I love you, alright? I love you, and Loke…"

"Well, well." The lion spirit said, pushing his glasses up the brim of his nose.

She laughed, "Oh, you." A smile stretched across her face, "You two really are amazing. I hope you find a celestial wizard who will love you guys as much as I do."

"Don't say that, Princess!" Virgo shouted through tears, "Do you wish to punish me?"

The blonde squeezed her friend tighter and smiled, "I just can't stand the fact that they're all out here and I'm unable to help." Her smile slipped and a blush appeared on her cheeks, "Natsu…" She paused, "I love you." Her eyes drooped closed and the celestial spirits spun into a frenzy of panic.

"No, Princess! Princess, wake up! Big Brother, what shall we do? She's still breathing, though not for long."

Loke frowned, "I have an idea, but it would go against every rule in the Celestial World."

Virgo bit her lip, "What do you wish me to do?"

"Summon the others." He paused, "We're going to save Lucy."

The maiden bowed and closed her own gate, coming back seconds later with the rest of the Zodiac spirits.

Elsewhere, Natsu and friends were pounding the crap out of a beast rampaging through town, but he couldn't help but notice how distracted Erza was. She kept looking back in the direction of the hotel but kept on fighting.

Then there was a beam of white light in the distance and a faint scream.

"Lucy!" Erza shouted, abandoning her post and running towards the hotel.

Natsu was the very last one to leave and when he arrived, he stared at the empty bed in horror.

"Where'd she…" Natsu began, "Where's Lucy?"

All that was there was a single key, a _gate _key. It was a shining gold, the handle shaped like a heart with the edges nearly touching. There was a victorian styled letter F in the center and the tip was shaped like a large L. There was a ribbon tied around the staff, tying a small piece of paper with writing on it.

It was addressed to none other than Wendy herself. She picked it up and began to read it aloud.

"_Dear Wendy,_

_The Princess has told us a lot about you (and the rest of her friends, of course). Unfortunately, the mistress was suffering through a nasty poison and not even we could help her. So, as a last result we have sent her away to the celestial spirit realm. Keep this key close by your side, as of now she has been transformed into a spirit herself. Miss Lucy is now The Defender. Keep safe, and we trust you with this. Our contract with the Princess has broken as well, so you can find the rest of the keys on the nightstand. _

_Thank you dearly, _

_-Virgo & Leo."_

"Wha… _what?!" _The group shouted in unison.


	2. Open, Gate of the Defender!

Open, Gate of the Defender!

Lucy's vision was slightly blurry when she awoke. All she could make out was someone with pink colored hair looming over her, "Princess! You're awake, thank goodness."

"Virgo?" The blonde asked, "Is that you? Where am I? Where are my friends?"

"Big brother has requested me to bring you to our realm. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, but I'm still a little sore. Why'd Loke ask you to bring me here?"

"Your life was in danger and this was the only way we could think of to protect you." The maiden said, "I shall explain everything further once you are feeling well."

As soon as she said that, the blonde's vision began to return. Looking around, she realized that all her friends were gathered around her, "What's going on?" Her eyes widened further when she saw the King looming over her, "Your Majesty!" She said, jolting upward and attempting a polite bow, only to fall back down.

"Do not try to push yourself too hard, my old friend." He ordered, "You're still recovering from the poison."

"Recovering? Wait, I'm not gonna die?" She said, smiling happily.

"Thankfully, no. Your spirits have saved your life, but unfortunately their contracts were broken when they chose to do so."

"What do you mean? I'm not going to see my friends anymore?" The blonde shouted through tears, "How could that kind of thing be allowed? I wasn't told any of this, Your Majesty! Pl- Please let me be their wizard. I couldn't live without having them by my side."

"You mustn't worry, Princess." Virgo reassured, "For we are not going anywhere. We will be with you every day, keeping you safe, as you will keep your friends safe."

"Of course, but I still don't understand what is going on."

The maiden nodded, "In our haste to save you, we had no choice but to bring you here. It was the only place that truly allowed you to heal, though some conditions came with it." She sighed, "These conditions, according to Big Brother and His Majesty are unbreakable. You are one of us now, Lucy."

The blonde looked at her friends then to the Celestial King, still having no clue what in the freaking world was going on.

The King pointed down at her outfit, and she saw a symbol on the left side of her shirt, a blue Victorian style letter 'F'.

"I'm a… Celestial spirit?" She said, shocked, "What about you guys, though? Who are you contracted with? Hopefully nobody bad. Ugh, my brain hurts."

A familiar voice echoed in her head, _"Open, gate of the Defender! Lucy!" _Suddenly, her entire body began to glow, and she disappeared into a beam of gold light, only to land in a large grassy hilltop in front of a giant monster.

"Wow! I really did it!" A voice squealed behind her, "I summoned Lucy!"

The teenager looked behind herself and smiled when she saw Wendy, so _she _was the one who had her key.

"Good job, kid!" Natsu shouted from a few miles away.

"Now, go get 'em!" The blue-haired girl ordered and pointed just ahead. Although her strength hadn't fully recovered, Lucy nodded and stood her ground. When it was close enough, she took her Fleuve d'étoiles- her Celestial whip out of its holster and pounced, riding on its' back as she wrapped her weapon around its neck, guiding it in a different direction. Once it had been knocked to its side, she pressed her hands together as if she was in prayer, and opened her eyes, "Stars of Shining!" Lucy shouted, blasting a storm of powerful blinding white stars down on it, eventually molding together to create a beam of white light. She held her whip at the ready, "Natsu! Now!"

The Dragon Slayer nodded and jumped over the beast, "Fire Dragon… _Roar!" _

The enemy was vaporized, and Lucy passed out on the spot. Wendy ran over to her and nudged the girl slightly until finally she woke up, "Hey." The blonde muttered, "I should probably head back, I think I overdid myself."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Lucy! I shouldn't have summoned you."

"Hey, no worries." She smiled, "I'll always be here if you need me. Just… not right now. We'll work out the contract details later, alright? Just ma…" She let out a yawn, "Just make sure those two idiots don't get a hold of my key."

Wendy giggled, "I'll take good care of it. Now, you should go back home, alright? Thanks for all the help."

"Yes, you did spectacularly well." Erza praised, helping her up before the blonde was ambushed with hugs. Tears were shed once she left, though. Lucy was just happy because she, although no longer human, could still see her friends again.

And she couldn't ask for anything more.

Another week passed by in the celestial world before she was summoned again. When she appeared, she was in the Fairy Tail guild. Tears of joy came to her eyes as she saw all her friends, which quickly changed to tears of pain when she was ambushed with hugs once more. When everyone started hastling her with questions, she grew quite annoyed and kicked them all to the side, _"Would you guys knock it off?" _She shouted, mumbling angrily to herself.

"Same old Lucy." A gruff voice muttered from the corner, "Annoying as always." This angered her even more. She turned her head to Gajeel Redfox, _"What did you just say?!"_

"Oh, just put a sock in it!" The iron dragon shouted back.

"Excuse me? Why don't you just shove it, you mediocre Dragon Slayer!" She shouted, earning a furious growl from him.

"Oh, you're crossing a dangerous line there, blondie."

She just rolled her eyes, "Anyway, Wendy, can we go outside? We need to talk."

The blue-haired girl seemed surprised at the request but nodded and followed her friend outside. They took a seat on a nearby bench a couple steps away from the guild.

"What did you wanna talk to me about, Lucy?"

"We just need to discuss holder magic and how to use it properly. I'd be happy to teach you, of course, but that means that you'll have to make a contract with me first."

"You seem oddly excited about this. I really thought you'd be upset about losing your powers."

"Hey, I'm just glad my keys are in the right hands." Lucy smiled, "Alright, let's get down to business. D'ya have a pen and paper?"

After shifting through her purse, the two stayed on the bench for about an hour sorting things out.

"Does this mean I have to stop using my Sky magic?" Wendy asked, making her new spirit frown.

"No way! Having me around just makes you more powerful in battle. Remember what I said, I'll always be here for you."

"Yes, I know."

"Now that's all sorted out, I'm coming over tomorrow and I'm going to mold you into a awesome Celestial wizard!" She raised her hand and her friend high fived her, "Sound good?"

The dragon slayer nodded and hugged her friend tight, "Why don't we go back inside the guild, then?"

Lucy just nodded and followed the younger girl inside, waving goodbye to her group of friends, about to leave when she was snatched and led to the bar by Natsu, "You're not goin' anywhere, Lucy. We've barely talked, c'mon!" He pleaded, leaning against the side of the bar waiting for her to say something.

"I'm afraid there's not much to talk about." The blonde said with a mere shrug, "Time passes so quickly in the Celestial World, I should be asking you guys that, I've missed so much."

"Oh please, Lucy. We've missed you very much, and we barely get to see one another." Erza said, pulling her close to her chest and hugging the girl, "You did wonderful in combat the last time we saw you. It's a shame you cannot stay here forever because we'd really want you back."

"Ain't that the truth." Gray said, "It's just not the same without you."

"Well, as much as I would love to stay here like I used to… His Majesty the Celestial King said that if I were to return to being human, the poison would take me over just as it did before. I would be dead in a blink of an eye."

The whole group went silent at that sentence, until finally the blonde was tired of it and broke the awkward silence, "I should probably get back. My friends can get really fussy when I'm gone for just a couple of hours."

"Yes, well that's understandable. Your friends care much for your wellbeing as we do. Nobody wants to lose you, especially when it was such a close call last time."

The blonde nodded at the redhead's words and hugged them all close, waving goodbye as she closed her own gate.

"Princess!" Virgo called out, "Welcome back." The maiden bowed to her former mage and smiled softly at her, "Did you have to engage in battle with Mistress Wendy?"

"Oh, no." Lucy answered, "She just wanted me to come spend time with her at the guild. I guess she and the others must miss me."

Virgo smiled once more and followed the blonde around the halls of the Celestial realm, keeping a close watch over her.

"I'm fine, Virgo." She reassured, "You don't have to keep following me."

"But it is my duty to protect you, my Princess."

The blonde smiled and linked arms with the maiden, "Then I guess it's my turn to protect you too."

As they walked on, Lucy didn't notice the small smile forming on Virgo's face. She cared so much for her friend and, even though the blonde seemed happy, the maiden knew she missed Earthland.

_At least she's safe. _The spirit thought to herself, _that's all that matters. _

**A/N: **Hey y'all! I just wanna go ahead and say thanks for reading this. In all seriousness though, I wanted to make an announcement. This story is available on Wattpad, where you can see all the drawings I have made for this story- including Lucy's key! They are also available on my Twitter account, Ohweewah_.

Thanks y'all and I hope y'all have an amazing day/night, whatever! Love ya'll bunches:)

~Sellybelly411

**P.S: **In case y'all haven't noticed, I'm a Texan. Yeehaw mah loves!


	3. The Broken Bind!

The Broken Bind!

Lucy was completely out of breath. Her powers were drained, and her legs felt heavy. She had been here too long, even though it had only been two hours she determined to press on. The blonde was teaching Wendy Holder Magic, just like she'd promised. She couldn't really summon anyone now, so instead the spirit taught her the ropes.

"You're starting to look pale." The blue-haired girl observed, "Are you sure it's alright for you to be out here this long?"

"Oh, it's fine!" She reassured, "A promise is a promise, Wendy. I'm going to teach you how to be a great Celestial wizard."

"That's great and all, but I really think you should go back in the Celestial World. You need your rest, you're not strong as the others."

The blonde scoffed, "You don't have to rub it in like that! Just because I'm not as powerful doesn't mean I can't help you!" She shouted, causing the younger girl to yelp in fright. Carla shook her head and frowned up at the spirit, "The child is right you know. We appreciate your assistance, but you do need your rest."

"But I promised-"

"And you kept it. Just go back home, Lucy. Face it, you're exhausted." The exceed spat, "Neither of us want anything happening to you." She whispered the last part.

The blonde smiled and nodded, waving goodbye to her friends before closing her own gate.

"You really care about Lucy, huh?" Wendy asked, making her flying cat friend shake her head in refusal, "No. No, why would I? She's just as annoying as that blue tomcat."

The blue-haired girl just smiled and went to her room, exhausted herself. She kicked off her shoes and snuggled deep down under the covers, "I think I'll take a little nap." She sighed, falling asleep on the spot.

"There's something wrong here." Lucy muttered to herself as she sat by herself in her small house, inside her gate, "I feel funny."

She fooled herself by saying it was nothing and continued lounging around her house, but she still couldn't shake that feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Lucy couldn't have been righter.

When Wendy was asleep, a Celestial mage from another guild snuck into the girl's room at night on the run from the Rune Knights. He was one of the most wanted wizards out there, and there was no way he was going to get caught. Looking around, he smiled down at the shining golden key on the desk. He'd never heard of a key like this before but took it anyway. The mage that worked here must be stupid to leave a Gate Key laying out here in the open like this.

He heard shouting directly behind the building and made a break for it. He ran far away, holding tightly onto the key in his hand. This was the first golden key he had ever seen in his life, and there was no way he'd be letting anyone else have it.

Suddenly, the wizard was surrounded. He could see leader of the Rune Knights, about to raise his hand to cast a spell to trap him inside when he decided it was time to test his new key out.

Lucy couldn't help but scream in agony when she heard a ringing in her ears. What was happening?

"_Open, Gate of the Defender! Lucy!" _

The blonde was confused. This was not Wendy's voice, but another's.

_Don't tell me… she lost her key?_

Lucy raised her head upward and continued to scream. This hurt, the summons hurt. The others heard this, and it was Aquarius that first made it inside. She saw the girl going pale, and the tears dripping down her face.

"Lucy!" The mermaid shouted, swimming quickly to her side, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"_Open, Gate of the Defender! Lucy!" _the voice repeated, making the blonde shreak even louder. Aquarius wrapped the girl in a hug, watching her in shock when she disappeared, still crying from the pain.

"Finally!" The wizard said, growling at the young woman next to him, "I need you to fight these guys."

"The Rune Knights?" She scoffed, "No way. No Celestial spirit could ever beat them, they're too powerful. Besides, you're not my Master."

"Who the Hell are you? You can't talk to me like that!" He shouted, pouncing on her in anger. Fresh tears still in her eyes, the blonde held her own and frowned at him, even though she was in pain, "You a-aren't ever going to be able to u-u-use me…" She said, voice airy from the chokehold she was currently in, "You can't… as long as my Mistress is alive… you can't b- b- break my contract."

"Damn, you're useless!" He shouted, and Lucy just rolled her eyes, angering him even more. He pinned her to the ground, pissed out of his mind, "You piece of trash! Why do you have to act so defiant towards me, your Master?"

"You… are not… my Master." She repeated, running out of air.

"Excuse me sir? But I need you to come with us." The head knight ordered, "You have tormented that thing long enough. Now, come along sir." Stupidly, he removed the seal and motioned for him to come over. The wizard did not, though and ran for the hills.

"I told you to attack those guys!" He ordered.

"And I told you no!"

"You stupid… ridiculous piece of… you're my _property!"_

"No, I'm not!" The blonde ordered, stepping back before disappearing back into the spirit world.

Aquarius was waiting for her when she got back, staring at the poor girl who looked pale and was shedding many tears.

"Oh my god." She shouted, "What happened?"

"It's bad, it's bad." She whispered, "This is horrible… it's painful." She looked up at the mermaid in fright, tears streaming down her face, "Make it stop." She said, voice wobbling, "Make the pain _stop!"_

Aquarius gasped, noticing the bruises all over her body. Gently, the mermaid wrapped the blonde in a hug, "Lucy, you idiot." She said, "What happened?"

"Someone... my key." She gasped, "Someone… stole my key from Wendy."

"_What?" _The Zodiac spirit gasped and pulled the young blonde into a much tighter hug, "Who is it? Who did this to you? _**I'll kill them!" **_She shouted, causing the rest of the Zodiacs outside to direct their attention to the blonde's house.

"I… I never caught his name." She winced, "I refused to work with him. He wasn't my Master. He had no right to order me around, so I refused." She said proudly.

"... You got hurt in the process, though."

"I…" She winced, falling to the ground with a loud bang, "I don't care. I'd never do anything for a creep like him."

Aquarius smiled proudly, "You really are an idiot." She sighed, "Even so… we're going to get your key back. There's no way I'll let some dark wizard, that moron keep your key. I _told _you to be careful! You told that stupid little girl to be careful!" She shouted angrily, not long after did Aries and Leo enter the house, staring down at the sight of a shaking Lucy. When she started screaming once more, they ran to her side.

"Lucy!" Aries and Loke shouted at the same time, staring down at her wounds, "How did this happen?"

When the blonde only continued to scream, she held onto the nearest thing, which happened to be the lion's tie. Her whole body began to glow, and she heard that evil wizard summoning her over and over.

She didn't want to leave. There was no way she would be returning to his side. Leo grabbed hold of her hand and held her tightly, watching as the girl began to glow. She bit her lip tightly and continued to wail loudly, refusing to give up.

"_Open, Gate of the Defender! Lucy!"_

She screamed only louder, holding tightly onto Leo's hand before the summoning power took over her. No matter how hard she fought, the gate was too powerful. It took over her and she disappeared into a beam of light.

With Leo with her.

When she finally appeared, an arrow went through her chest.

He had been using her as a shield. Leo ran over to her and pulled her close, glaring up at the man that had tortured her, "How _dare _you!" He shouted, pulling the shaking girl close to his chest, "Who do you think you are?"

"I am the great wizard Azrael." He announced proudly, "Now, who exactly are you to talk to me in such a rude manner?"

"I am Loke. Head of the Zodiac, and you have hurt one of my fellow spirits. This is unforgivable." He growled, "You may not use my friend like that! She's not your "property," she isn't even contracted to you!"

"Lok...e." Lucy muttered, holding him tightly, "Don't do this. H..h… He could hurt you." Eyes drooping, she fell asleep on his chest.

"Lazy idiot." Azrael, "How can she be a gold key? This girl can't even fight."

"Not for you, she can't." He narrowed his eyes up at the man, "She's afraid of even coming to see you. Whenever you summon her, it actually physically _hurts _her."

The wizard just shook his head and yanked on the unconscious blonde's hair, in an effort to wake her up. She screamed in surprise, taking her weapon out of its holster and whipping him hard across the face. When she saw the red mark on his cheek, she gasped, "Oh no…" Fresh, hot tears ran down her face as she only held onto her friend tighter, "What have I done?"

"It's alright." Loke reassured, patting Lucy on the head, "He's not going to hurt you. I won't let him."

"Oh-ho-ho." Azrael glared down at the frightened girl, "Bad move, blondie." He raised his hand and a magic circle appeared under his feet. Fishing around in his pocket, the lion pulled out a silver gate key and pressed it against her forehead.

Lucy disappeared.

"Nice try, but I can just summon her again. _Then _she'll be sorry." He growled, "Now that I've got you here with me, though, why don't _we _make a contract. Someone as strong as you would be quite helpful."

"Over my dead body." He growled, vanishing before the dark wizard's own eyes. He found Lucy shaking in her own house under the watch of Aquarius and Aries. He couldn't help but notice the fire burning in the mermaid's eyes. She was _furious__._

Back at the guild, Wendy and the other members of Fairy Tail were in a wave of panic. How could she have been so careless to lose Lucy's key? She had _promised _to keep it safe and look what had happened!

"There's no need to worry." Erza said, seeing the look of sadness on her young friend's face, "We will find her. It's not like we're alone, either. The Celestial spirits are on our side. They care for her as much as we do."

"That's it!" The blue-haired girl exclaimed, eyes widening in shock, "Why don't we ask one of the spirits? They could probably tell us what was going on!"

"_**AAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" **_A voice shouted, sending chills up even Erza's spine.

They knew all too well who that angry voice belonged to.

Soon enough, Aquarius appeared inside a guild from a mere spill of water on the ground and she. Was. _Livid._

"_**You damn idiots! How the Hell could you do this? You, you stupid little girl, she warned you NOT to lose her key! I hate you all! DAMMIT! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?"**_

"Calm down, Aquarius." Another voice said, and Loke appeared by her side, "There's no need to panic."

"_**NO NEED TO PANIC? LUCY'S KEY WAS STOLEN BY A DARK WIZARD! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE OUR LEADER, BUT HOW CAN YOU BE THIS STUPID? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS COULD DO TO HER?"**_

Erza's eyes went open in shock, "A dark wizard?" She whispered, sounding frightful.

"Yes. I managed to rescue her the other day by using a key to close her gate my force." He explained, "She's all right now…"

"_**SHE IS NOT "ALL RIGHT" SERIOUSLY, LEO? SHE'S BRUISED, AND BROKEN, AND AFRAID… AGH! NEED I SAY MORE?"**_

The whole guild began to tear up. Natsu stepped forward, his hands on fire already, "Then it's settled." he frowned, "We have to save Lucy."

"Aye!" Happy cheered, while Wendy moved back a bit and broke into a fit of tears.

_This is all my fault. _


	4. Friends United!

Friends United!

Lucy had trouble catching her breath when she was back in the Celestial World. Virgo and Leo hadn't seen her in this much pain since she'd been poisoned. Everything in her body hurt, and even though she was immortal, the arrow that had struck her was just as painful as you would imagine. She couldn't seem to stand, either, and was praying that she wouldn't be called back anytime soon since her energy was absolutely drained.

"Princess." The maiden said, taking a seat next to her, "It hurts to see you in such pain. I have failed to protect you once again." She frowned.

"H- H- Hey." Lucy muttered, looking up at her, "It's fine…" She smiled, "You do- don… donee tah worry about m... m … me."

She tried to push herself up but failed once again and fell to the ground with a loud thump.

"You must not push yourself, Princess." She ordered, "You need to wait for your energy to regenerate. There is good news, though. As long as you are unable to fight, your key holder will not be able to call you."

"I see." She mumbled, "Thisis, a… a… a glass half f-f-full kinda deal, huh?"

"I suppose that's what you could call it." The maiden said, picking her former mage up and carrying the crying girl back to her house. Virgo stayed with the blonde, staying calm as she cried on the maiden's lap.

_She's in so much pain. _The pink-haired girl thought to herself, _if only I could help her._

Wiping a few tears away, she looked up at her friend, "Wh… where's Loke?" She asked suddenly, wobbling on her feet as she attempted to walk on her own, failing miserably.

"No need to worry." Virgo reassured, helping the girl up and supporting her as they walked back to the blonde's home, "Big Brother and Aquarius have gone to Earthland to get help from your comrades." She explained, handing her off to Aries so the maiden could open the door for the two.

And as Lucy looked up at the ram, she saw something she saw something flicker in her eye, and her whole body was shaking. Not out of fear though, but out of rage, which was something the blonde had never seen before. The light pink-haired spirit was always so timid and full of self-doubt, so to be seeing her like this was something new. She was almost as frightening as Aquarius.

"Please watch over the Princess, Ms. Aries. Big Brother is calling me." Virgo said with a slightly concerned look in her eyes.

The ram just nodded and helped the young woman the rest of the way inside. She sat down on the couch and lay Lucy on top of her, "Miss Lucy." She sighed sadly, about to say something else when she noticed that her friend had fallen asleep on her lap.

Aries hugged the girl close to her heart, face shaking at the sight of the cuts and bruises. Oh, how she hoped that her friends could find Lucy's key soon. If they couldn't? Well... She didn't want to think about that.

"Aries." Lucy mumbled, opening her eyes and smiling at her friend, "Why does it… hurt?"

"Oh goodness, are you in pain Ms. Lucy?" She asked in her timid voice, "I'll do my very best to try…"

"No, that's not what I mean." The blonde said, "Why does it hurt… every time I'm summoned by him? I don't understand…"

"I can't say for sure." She said, "But it is likely due to the fact that he's using your key even though you aren't contracted to him." The ram suggested, "It's just a theory though, Ms. Lucy. I'm sorry that I've disappointed you, I'm useless after all!"

_"Open, I said Open! Come, Lucy!" _A voice shouted, _"How come you are not responding? You are my property! Come forth, Gate of the Defender! Lucy!"_

"No way." The blonde responded in a furious tone, "There is no way I am responding to _you."_

Azrael was shocked at the voice echoing in his head. Was this… telepathy? He cleared his throat, _"How dare you say no to me! I am your master! Come at once, Lucy!" _He shouted at the top of his lungs, catching the attention of a couple of people passing by.

"No!" She shouted, the loudness echoing in the wizard's head, "I refuse! Even I wanted to help, I couldn't. You have hurt me to such a state to where it is impossible for you to summon me."

He drew his key once more, as if trying to test her words. When she didn't come, he growled, _"How dare you!" _He shouted, _"How dare you make a fool out of me!"_

"I never made a fool out of you." She answered calmly, "You made a fool out of yourself. You are a disgrace to other Celestial wizards. Many of my friends are afraid of their keys falling into the wrong hands, such as yours. Rest assured, I will not let you put a finger on them!" She growled, "And for the record, this isn't _telepathy, _you whiny little wannabe stupid-ass, ugly- mugged…" She cleared her throat, "I am talking to you through my key. That's how we spirits communicate with our mages, whoever holds our key can hear me. So, get this through your thick skull, you moron. I am no longer going to respond to _you. _Let's see how good you are on the run without me, not that I ever did anything. I'm impressed you didn't get caught; I will say that at least." She coughed and hugged Aries, who jumped in surprise, but hugged her right back.

"I have no business with a dark guild." She finished, cutting off the conversation and falling asleep on Aries's lap. Her wounds were quickly healing, as was her Celestial spirit magic. Unfortunately, the more she resisted, the more magic energy was drained out of her.

"Hang in there, Lucy." Aries begged, tearing up at the sight of her friend.

Meanwhile, the Fairy Tail guild was on the hunt for their friend's key. At first, they were confused by Virgo's sudden appearance, but since her "Big Brother" had summoned her she had no choice but to leave her Princess's side.

Considering the emergency, they managed to grab a few friends from other guilds to help them search. They weren't sure how powerful this dark wizard was, and if he had an army behind him. So, nevertheless it was better to be safe than sorry.

The fastest runner in the group, Coco, was doing her best to resist her urge to run farther ahead, but she knew that she had to stick with the group. Their former enemy had a strong admiration for Lucy, and truly believed that she was royalty (Thanks to Virgo, who always called the blonde "Princess)."

Yukino, from the Sabertooth guild was a helpful asset as well. Prior to the end of the Grand Magic Games, her guild had been rivals with the Fairy Tail guild. Even though the white-haired woman was not a member, she couldn't help but feel loved whenever she entered the guild. Lucy was a close friend of hers now, and the thought of her in the hands of a Dark Guild… it sent her blood boiling.

All though many of these people came from different backgrounds and had _very _different opinions, there was one thing they all agreed on- how much they loved Lucy. Virgo seemed especially distressed as she ran alongside Erza, looking distracted. The redhead looked to the maiden with sympathy, as if reading her mind.

"It will be alright, no need to worry." She reassured, "Lucy's a tough young woman. She can handle herself out there."

"I know exactly where she is." She stated aloud, causing the whole group to stop running and stare at her in shock.

"Wha—then what's all this runnin' for? What're we doing when you know where she is? _Lucy!"_ Natsu shouted, "Yell if you're dead!"

"Please calm down." The maiden ordered, "I simply said that I know where the Princess is, I never said I knew where her Gate Key was."

"I don't understand, are those two things different?" Coco asked, her childlike voice filled with worry.

"Yes, Miss. You see, us Celestial spirits all reside in the same realm, as you know. Lucy is currently there with Aries, the Golden Ram. Although a dark wizard does have her key, this has no effect on where exactly in the Celestial Realm she is." The maiden said, "Though her Gate Key is a whole different story."

"I see. Say, how is she Virgo?"

"Not very well, Mistress." The maiden said sadly, "Her wielder takes advantage of her. She accidentally took Big Brother with her through a summoning gate and he told me everything after the gate was forced closed by himself. That… that evil man." Hands rolling into fists, she stared up at Erza through tears, "He used her as a shield. An arrow went straight through her heart."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. Boiling with rage, Coco and Natsu charged ahead, not getting very far when they were grabbed by Erza.

"Not so fast, you two." She said, "We need to stick together."

"But you heard what Virgo said, Lucy's been shot! She's probably in serious pain right now, we need to find that damn key at once and you slowpokes can't stop me!"

"The Princess could be hurt!" Coco cried, "Please Ms. Erza, let me go after her! I am much faster than than Natsu!"

"Believe me, I understand your reasoning, but we cannot risk getting separated. We'll just have to go on together, it's the only way we can save our friend."

"And put that bastard in jail." The pink-haired man said.

"Indeed. The evil-doer shall pay for his sins."

"Mistress." Virgo said, causing the woman known as Titanya to look at her once more, "I admire your bravery and determination. Please, keep the Princess safe." The maiden begged through tears.

Erza nodded, "Of course. We'll protect her with our lives."

"I'm afraid I must take my leave. Master Leo shall be at your side to assist you as much as he is able. I must take my leave now and I ask Big Brother to summon me whenever my help is needed. I shall gladly help whatever way I can, now best of luck to you all!"

"Thank you, you were a great help." Erza complimented, waving goodbye as the maiden disappeared.

In the Spirit Realm, Lucy was feeling much better. She was able to sit up by herself and was smiling brightly when Virgo told her the news.

"My friends are coming for me?" The blonde said in excitement, "I knew it! I am wondering how they found out, though."

"Aquarius was fearing for your safety and went to warn your friends."

"Oh, yeah?" She said, "I didn't realize she was worried about me. I always thought she couldn't stand the sight of me."

"Oh, no. Believe me, Miss Aquarius loves you." Aries assured, "Although she can be a little rash sometimes, she really does admire you and how much you care for us."

"I see." Eyes twinkling with happiness, Lucy got up and brushed herself off, "I suppose I should go thank her then."

"Are you sure you're up to walk? Your wounds haven't healed yet."

"Don't worry about me Aries, I'm fine." The blonde reassured, "Virgo, will you take me to her?"

"Gladly." She bowed, grabbing her Princess's wrist and gently leading her away from her Celestial Realm.

"I don't understand." Lucy said, "She's not anywhere around here."

"Yes, I have noticed that as well."

"_Then why are we still walking?" _She shouted angrily.

"Do you wish to punish me?"

"You're so weird!" She paused, "Seriously? Where is she?"

"Aquarius must be somewhere on Earthland. I can no longer sense her presence."

Lucy nodded in understanding, "I guess I'll have to thank her when she gets back, then." The blonde said, a smile on her face. She let out a light chuckle of her own, "Knowing her, she'll probably deny it though."

Virgo smiled as she saw her friend acting so amused. She was glad her spirits had been lifted and hoped that they would stay that way.

Although she could not admit it to anyone, the maiden considered Lucy her closest friend. Sure, she had been around the other Celestial spirits since the beginning of time and loved them dearly, that was true. Lucy, though… she takes the cake.

"Is something wrong, Virgo?"

The maiden jumped in surprise, "Mm?"

"You've been quiet for a while, is everything alright?"

The maiden just nodded, "Yes, Princess. I am perfectly fine. Now, shall we return home?"

"No, I like it out here, it's so relaxing." The blonde said, looking upward at the floating crystals, "It really relieves all this stress. Hm, I think I'll stay here for a while."

"Very well. I shall take my leave then, Princess." Bowing, she disappeared into thin air, leaving a relaxed Lucy alone.

Unfortunately, neither one could be prepared for what happened next.


	5. I Must Protect the Ones I Love!

I Must Protect the Ones I Love!

Erza Scarlet picked up the pace on her venture to find Lucy Heartfilia. Although she had ordered her group to keep moving forward as one, she had sensed something in the opposite direction. She held her hand up to stop her comrades from moving any further, "We shall venture in this direction."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked, "Loke said she was straight ahead."

"That may have been true before, but now I think the dark wizard in question is near. We must keep our guard up, everyone."

Lucy's eyes opened in shock as she sensed a disturbance down on Earthland. Azrael was about to strike; she could see it through her own gate key. He was clutching his bow, aiming for Erza.

_"I don't think so!" _

There was a bright flash of white light followed by a loud bang. The blonde deflected the arrow with the heel of her boot, sending the weapon straight back at him. With great agility, she did a backflip in the air then landed perfectly on her feet, "You're not laying a finger on them! Not as long as I'm alive!"

"Lucy…"

"Sorry it took so long! I'm not too late, aren't I?"

The redhead smiled, "No, not at all. We're glad to see you."

"I have a plan, but I need you to listen, Erza."

"Wow. I've never heard you sound so assertive before. I'm all ears."

She whispered the plan to her friend and then earned a determined nod. Lucy, raising her hands, glared at the man hiding in the shadows.

Her fists glowed brightly, "I'm coming for you, ya jerk!" Jumping into the air, she dived over to him superhero style and punched him hard, "Lucy Shining Gut Punch!" Landing on her feet she smiled at her friend, "I leave the rest to you."

"We won't fail."

Running to the back of the crowd, the blonde grabbed both Wendy & Coco and dragged them away from the action, far away from danger. They ended up in a empty barn, far enough to where she thought that the enemy wouldn't find them.

"Lucy, what are you doing? We need to help them!" The blue haired maiden shouted, "I know it's just one guy, but my Sky Magic could be of use to them! Take us back, please!"

"I'm sorry, Wendy but that's not going to happen." The blonde said sternly, taking a seat across from her.

"What do mean? You aren't the boss of me, you big meanie!"

"I'm your Celestial spirit, it's my job to keep you safe. There's no reason for you to be in battle right now."

"Princess." Coco piped up, taking a seat beside the blonde, "Why did you bring me here, though?"

"I know you're powerful, but you're still a kid. I couldn't stand the thought of you getting injured. That goes for you too, Wendy." Lucy said, making the blue haired girl freeze up just when she had almost made her escape.

"Meanie…" Wendy mumbled, turning her head away from the girl. Lucy let out a defeated sigh, "I must admit that I was surprised about how many people I saw. I didn't get to see everyone, but I did notice Yukino and the girls from Mermaid Heel. You too, Coco." She ruffled the brunette's head, causing the shorter girl to smile with glee.

"Yes. Everyone was out searching for you and your key. So many people were worried when I discovered it was gone the next morning. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."

"Hey, it's no big deal. After all it's not like I'm gonna kill ya or anything." She shrugged, "I just wanna keep you safe."

"That's so sweet of yo-"

"Wendy, Coco get down!" The blonde leaped in front of the two, placing her magical shield around them. A shadow entered the room, eyes set on the girls. She watched as it tried to slip through the barrier, but only got blasted back.

"Just who the hell are you?!"

"I…" He responded slowly, "Am the one who will defeat you." He said, getting to his feat and aiming for the girls this time.

"_Celestial Shield!"_ She shouted, raising her arms to the sky, _"Self-Protection!" _

Wendy and Coco's bodies began to glow a faint gold color, looking up at the Celestial Spirit for an explanation. The magic that was released was absorbed by the spell guarding the girls.

"You are immune to his attacks for a little bit." She announced, "Which means…" She jumped into the air and buried her foot into his face, "I can fight as well!"

"Then we'll help too, Lucy!" Wendy bravely announced, joining the girl's side. Coco nodded as well and joined the group, "I will fight for you as well, Princess!"

Lucy smiled in appreciation and took a battle stance, "Then we have to work together!" She shouted, not long after that did a blast of dark magic strike her. She fell to the ground, a few cuts on her body. Nothing she couldn't handle, though. She stood up and joined the girls once more.

"Now, one more time. Who the hell are you?!" She shouted, "Tell me or I'll blast ya into next week!"

The man was too shocked to answer. Nobody had ever been attacked by his Black Magic and _survived _afterword.

She was inches in front of his face now, hands on her hips and looking _furious. _He gulped in fear and looked up into her angry brown eyes, "My name's…. M- my name's Matthew. I- I… I'm one of Azrael's lackies. P...p...p...lease don't hurt me!" He shouted.

"Wimp." She shouted, rolling her eyes, "What exactly is your _goal _here? What do you want with me?"

"H… h… the Master wishes for you to be his Mistress. He finds you very appealing." A smile on his face, he looked her up and down, "I can see why."

Glaring at him, she raised her leg and Lucy Kicked him far away, _"Don't be creepy!" _She shouted, growling before turning to the other lackies. They dropped their weapons at once when they saw the glare on the girl's face and scurried off.

_Figures. _

"Um… Lucy?" Wendy piped up, getting the angry girl's attention. Rubbing her arm, the blue-haired girl looked up at the blonde timidly, "How long are we staying in here?"

"Until those damn followers live us the hell alone."

"Your Majesty?" Coco followed up, "I'm confused at what's going on. Why does this man have control over you?"

"He doesn't." She sighed, "Wendy is my Master."

"Then why does he…?"

"I'll explain everything later. But for now I need you guys to be quiet so we can get through this."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Then suddenly, she felt another headache coming on, this one stronger than any of the others.

"Oh, no." She muttered, massaging her temple as she fought the summons.

"_Come, Lucy!"_

"Oh, _no." _

Wendy ran over to the girl and took hold of her hand, "What's happening? What's wrong?"

"He… he's…" She started crying in agony, "I can't fight it anymore. I'm so sorry, Ms. Wendy. I don't have enough magic power to…" There was a beam of white light and then she appeared by Azrael.

"Lucy!" Erza shouted, noticing how exhausted she was.

"Don't worry." She assured, smiling at her friends weakly, "I'm fine." Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, she stuck her foot out, causing Azrael to trip and fall.

"Y… you're not getting anywhere near them…" She muttered, wobbling slightly as she tried to get to her feet.

She raised her hands to the sky, "I may not have enough magic to fight… but I can still do this." Parting her hands, _"C- Celestial Shield!" _She shouted weakly, _"Self- Protection!" _

Just like Coco and Wendy, they glowed a faint gold and became shielded by their magic. Falling to the ground, she met eyes with Erza, "Protect… protect Mistress W- W- en…" Closing her eyes, "I… I… I failed her…" Body glowing, she disappeared out of sight.

"Natsu!" Erza shouted, and he nodded in understanding before running off to find his blue-haired friend.

Happy followed his best friend, following his nose until they found the two girls surrounded by guards.

He kept into action and blew them away with his roar, running to their aid.

"What happened to Lucy?" Wendy asked, "She just disappeared all of the sudden. Did something happen?"

"She just used up all her magic power. Don't worry though, she'll be fine."

"She was amazing earlier… you should've seen it. She made all the guards run away without having to use any of her powers! She was almost as scary as Erza…" The blue haired girl explained, "I think it was her protection spell. It must have taken a lot of magic to do that."

Natsu nodded, "Are you alright, though? She was worried about you guys and felt bad that she couldn't do much else for you."

"Is she kidding? She practically saved our lives!" Wendy exclaimed, "I hope she's okay, though."

"She is." He nodded, "I'm sure of it."

"_Lucy." _A voice whispered nearby, and for a moment the blonde thought that she was being summoned once more. But when her eyes opened, she saw Aquarius hovering over her trying to hide her worry.

"Aq...a…" Not being able to even finish her own sentence, the young woman let out a defeated breath of air before turning on her side.

"You used way too much magic energy." The mermaid stated, "What are you, some kind of idiot?"

"I… I'm… I…"

"Be quiet." The spirit ordered, "You won't be able to go into battle for a while." She stated, "That's a good thing, right?"

"N… no."

"_No? _Why in hell would you say _no? _Are you _stupid?!"_

"W… w… e…"

"Wendy will be fine. Now, just shut your trap and go back to sleep. You'll be able to see her in no time."

The blonde nodded lightly and fell back asleep.

_Someone is going to pay for this. _Aquarius thought, _someone is going to suffer for hurting my friend._

She thought about Wendy, but knew that Lucy would kill her if she laid a single finger on the dragon slayer.

But then she saw the blonde's body shaking, and she began to shout again.

_No._

Was that idiot dark wizard trying to summon her? Was he _stupid?_

The mermaid touched Lucy's head and she slowly began to calm down. Sensing the blonde's key nearby, she gathered all her magic power and appearance in her place.

"Who are _you?" _Azrael asked, confused.

Ignoring his pointless question, she sucked water in from the nearby lake into her vase and sent it straight at him, _**"YOU'RE GONNA PAY!" **_

**A/N: **Thanks so much for reading this chapter! Remember, it is also available on Wattpad. I have included some digital fanart of Lucy, Wendy, and Erza in the story. Just go to Sellybelly411 on Wattpad and check out this, along with all the other stories I've written.

Oh, and please make sure to follow, favorite, and review! 


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